Local News

Over 500 evacuated from Boston hotel after CO detected

There were "high levels" of the poisonous gas throughout the hotel, fire officials said.

July 26, 2023

1 minute to read

The DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Boston evacuated all of its guests Tuesday night because of a carbon monoxide leak that came from the hotel’s utility room.

The Boston Fire Department responded to a call from the hotel around 10 p.m. that its carbon monoxide alarm was going off, according to Brian Alkins, a fire department spokesperson. Carbon monoxide, an invisible, odorless gas that’s produced as a byproduct of burning fuels like gasoline or propane, can be dangerous and even deadly, depending on the degree of exposure.

Alkins said the hotel’s 267 rooms were booked to capacity that night, with over 500 guests. There were no injuries or illnesses reported from the leak, but fire officials detected “high levels” of carbon monoxide throughout the hotel when they arrived, necessitating a full evacuation.

Firefighters identified the utility room in the hotel as the source of the leak and shut off power to that room. Carbon monoxide levels fell, and guests were allowed to return to their rooms around midnight.

Commissioner Burke briefs the media on the evacuation for the high levels of Carbon Monoxide at the Double Tree Hotel Washington st. The source of the problem has been found & mitigated, the levels have dropped , and the over 500 guests are back in . pic.twitter.com/HMFiJyfzFf
— Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) July 26, 2023

Alkins said he did not know whether the underlying cause of the leak was fixed permanently.

A spokesperson for the hotel told Boston.com it has “resumed normal operations” following the leak.

“The safety and security of DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Downtown’s guests is of paramount importance,” the spokesperson said, adding that the hotel is fully compliant with all laws and building codes.